tlongII
10-02-2009, 08:10 PM
http://www.oregonlive.com/sports/oregonian/john_canzano/index.ssf/2009/10/fitness_your_blazers_and_their.html
I'm blogging...
Lots being made about Andre Miller's failure on the team fitness test yesterday. And it's not lost that Steve Blake set a team record. It's fascinating to dissect, but let's not get carried away.
What we can read from that: Blake is in great shape and taking this camp seriously.
Miller isn't known as a practice player. He's not familiar with the fitness test either. (This is me giving him the benefit of the doubt.) But he's going to soon come to understand what Nate McMillan expects, if he already isn't getting it.
With Brandon Roy, LaMarcus Aldridge, Martell Webster, etc... there's already too many Blazers who "get it" around for Miller or anyone else to be an issue. It's the best byproduct that will come out of camp, and we haven't always had that around here. The culture will infect Miller, not the other way around.
Not even close to worried... yet.
Love McMillan's enthusiasm for Webster, by the way. The hope all summer was that Webster could show up healthy, ready, and end up as a proxy for a big-time free agent aquisition at small forward. And the early reports say this is still a possibility.
Not worried about that, either.
What I am worried about is the Blazers ability to enjoy themselves and find great beaches in their off time. These are young, wealthy people who are living a dream by playing a professional sport. And I think I can speak for regular Americans everywhere when I say, "You did what this summer?!?!" when it comes to their vacations.
Martell Webster said he went to Bend for his big summer vacation. Nothing against Bend, but I'm thinking most of us would go tropical or find an adventure if we had a week or two in the summer and the means.
Brandon Roy said he stayed in Seattle, and hung out at home. "Maybe I'll do Disneyland when the kids are old enough, but when I travel I mostly just stay in the hotel and watch TV." Yes, two-time All-Star. Yes, still very young.
Jarron Collins said he didn't go on any trips, but attended --- get this --- seven weddings. "My friends are all right at that age," he said.
Greg Oden reported that he went to Hawaii for two days. Who goes to Hawaii for two days?!? Oden. That's who. Just a quick there and back, and also, he went to Las Vegas, but that was for promotional work. His other trip was to Columbus, OH, and I've been there. No great beaches.
Joel Przybilla said he would have preferred to stay home but obliged his wife on a summer trip to the Bahamas. This is better, but I believe him when he said, "Man, I don't like to travel."
Now, Juwan Howard, he knows how to travel. And he says that the reason the other players don't yet understand how to travel is because they're too young to know where to go.
Howard went to Africa this summer, specifically Kenya (Nairobi). He also had a tropical trip with his wife. And he said, "I think traveling is an educational thing. You see the world. You learn that it's not like home everywhere."
Seriously, I love that the Blazers came into camp in shape. Means they were working hard this summer, and are taking this seriously. Good to see.
They have the money. I'm not sure they know how to spend it. They may need your assistance here in posting some ideas for travel plans next summer.
So where did you go this summer... and given you made, let's say, $5.5 million last year... where would you travel?
I'm blogging...
Lots being made about Andre Miller's failure on the team fitness test yesterday. And it's not lost that Steve Blake set a team record. It's fascinating to dissect, but let's not get carried away.
What we can read from that: Blake is in great shape and taking this camp seriously.
Miller isn't known as a practice player. He's not familiar with the fitness test either. (This is me giving him the benefit of the doubt.) But he's going to soon come to understand what Nate McMillan expects, if he already isn't getting it.
With Brandon Roy, LaMarcus Aldridge, Martell Webster, etc... there's already too many Blazers who "get it" around for Miller or anyone else to be an issue. It's the best byproduct that will come out of camp, and we haven't always had that around here. The culture will infect Miller, not the other way around.
Not even close to worried... yet.
Love McMillan's enthusiasm for Webster, by the way. The hope all summer was that Webster could show up healthy, ready, and end up as a proxy for a big-time free agent aquisition at small forward. And the early reports say this is still a possibility.
Not worried about that, either.
What I am worried about is the Blazers ability to enjoy themselves and find great beaches in their off time. These are young, wealthy people who are living a dream by playing a professional sport. And I think I can speak for regular Americans everywhere when I say, "You did what this summer?!?!" when it comes to their vacations.
Martell Webster said he went to Bend for his big summer vacation. Nothing against Bend, but I'm thinking most of us would go tropical or find an adventure if we had a week or two in the summer and the means.
Brandon Roy said he stayed in Seattle, and hung out at home. "Maybe I'll do Disneyland when the kids are old enough, but when I travel I mostly just stay in the hotel and watch TV." Yes, two-time All-Star. Yes, still very young.
Jarron Collins said he didn't go on any trips, but attended --- get this --- seven weddings. "My friends are all right at that age," he said.
Greg Oden reported that he went to Hawaii for two days. Who goes to Hawaii for two days?!? Oden. That's who. Just a quick there and back, and also, he went to Las Vegas, but that was for promotional work. His other trip was to Columbus, OH, and I've been there. No great beaches.
Joel Przybilla said he would have preferred to stay home but obliged his wife on a summer trip to the Bahamas. This is better, but I believe him when he said, "Man, I don't like to travel."
Now, Juwan Howard, he knows how to travel. And he says that the reason the other players don't yet understand how to travel is because they're too young to know where to go.
Howard went to Africa this summer, specifically Kenya (Nairobi). He also had a tropical trip with his wife. And he said, "I think traveling is an educational thing. You see the world. You learn that it's not like home everywhere."
Seriously, I love that the Blazers came into camp in shape. Means they were working hard this summer, and are taking this seriously. Good to see.
They have the money. I'm not sure they know how to spend it. They may need your assistance here in posting some ideas for travel plans next summer.
So where did you go this summer... and given you made, let's say, $5.5 million last year... where would you travel?